10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
These 10 free CAS questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Certified Addiction Specialist blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
Domain 1: Counseling
Question 1
Compare two transactions involving unrelated sellers that each retain a federal-COBRA-covered health plan. In a stock sale, workers remain employed by the acquired corporation at unchanged hours, although their seller-plan coverage ends. In an asset sale, workers' seller employment and coverage end; the buyer immediately hires and covers them. The asset buyer is not a successor employer under the COBRA rules. No other potential qualifying event occurs. For which continuing workers does the sale create a qualifying event?
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Correct answer: A - Only the asset-sale workers; seller employment ended despite immediate buyer coverage.
Question 2
Cascade sells a subsidiary's stock. The purchase agreement assigns the buyer responsibility for existing COBRA beneficiaries whose pre-closing qualifying events arose from employment with that subsidiary. The selling group continues a health plan for its remaining businesses. The buyer refuses to provide the promised coverage because of a dispute with Cascade, although the beneficiaries have paid their premiums. Both groups' plans are subject to federal COBRA. Which plan retains the regulatory obligation when the contractual arrangement fails?
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Correct answer: D - A selling-group plan, despite the buyer's contractual assignment.
Domain 2: Treatment Planning
Question 3
Silvia loses employer coverage April 30. Her valid federal COBRA notice gives her until June 30 to elect. She sends a signed waiver May 9, then sends a revocation June 12 that reaches the administrator June 16. She timely pays the required premiums. The plan has not promised coverage for the interval before a waiver is revoked. What is the first date the plan must cover?
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Correct answer: A - June 12, when Silvia sent her revocation.
Question 4
An early retiree has received COBRA for seven months. The employer has paid half the premium but will completely stop contributing after May 31. COBRA remains available at the retiree's full expense. The original job-loss Marketplace enrollment window has closed, annual Open Enrollment is not underway, and the retiree is otherwise eligible for Marketplace coverage. Which option becomes available because of the employer's change?
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Correct answer: C - Use a Marketplace special-enrollment period triggered by the complete end of employer contributions.
Domain 3: Professional and Ethical Responsibilities
Question 5
Warren, age 68, retires after continuous coverage under his employer's group health plan. Employment and active coverage end together; no other current-employment coverage applies. He has Medicare Part A but delayed Part B. He elects COBRA with creditable prescription drug coverage. His retirement letter says he can wait until COBRA ends before using an eight-month Part B enrollment period. Which sentence belongs in the corrected letter?
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Correct answer: D - Your eight-month Part B window starts when employment ends; COBRA does not extend it.
Question 6
Jules was covered under her employer's federal-COBRA-covered medical plan immediately before protected FMLA leave. Coverage properly lapsed during leave for unpaid employee contributions. She does not return when FMLA leave ends, and her active-coverage eligibility ends; the employer still covers her former class of employees. The employer also seeks reimbursement of premiums it advanced before the lapse. An administrator withholds the election notice until that debt is paid. How should the debt and continuation rights be handled?
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Correct answer: B - Offer COBRA independently of the FMLA-premium debt; pursue any recoverable debt separately.
Question 7
A retirement file lists Medicare Part A effective November 1, 2025; Part B effective July 1, 2026; and retirement with immediate coverage loss on August 1, 2026. The covered spouse has no Medicare entitlement and timely elects federal COBRA. No disability extension, second qualifying event, or early-termination ground applies. What is the spouse's maximum continuation period measured from August 1?
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Correct answer: C - 27 months
Domain 4: Foundations (Transdisciplinary)
Question 8
An oncology office needs coverage confirmation for tomorrow's infusion. A former employee timely elected federal COBRA without waiving coverage and paid every premium needed to bring the account current 33 days after electing. The payment cleared, but eligibility still shows cancellation because the first premium was not received within 30 days of the election. The administrator has verified these facts. What should be corrected first?
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Correct answer: C - Restore coverage retroactively and confirm eligibility; the 45-day initial-payment period was met.
Question 9
In month 8 of federal COBRA, a participant is correctly billed $380 and makes a timely payment of $337. The applicable grace period has expired without further payment. No longer payment period, deadline relief, or waiver of the balance applies. Under the insignificant-shortfall rule, how may the plan handle the unpaid balance?
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Correct answer: B - Termination is permitted; the $43 shortage exceeds the applicable $38 threshold.
Question 10
At a September 30 termination with immediate coverage loss, payroll reports $200 unused in a former employee's calendar-year health FSA. The annual elected benefit was $3,000, salary reductions collected were $2,250, and reimbursable claims submitted before termination totaled $2,050. The FSA provides excepted benefits, its maximum permitted annual COBRA charge exceeds its annual benefit, and it has no carryover or grace period. Maximum COBRA premiums for October through December total $765. Which determination belongs in the FSA record?
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Correct answer: A - Offer coverage through December 31; the remaining available benefit is $950.